This book is one of the first to systematically explore cultural interactions between the Northern Zone of China and the Eurasian Steppe, with a focus on the formation process of the Xiongnu Confederation and the Silk Road. Combining partition and staging analyses, the authors adopt a broad perspective, viewing the Northern Zone as part of the Eurasian Steppe and combining history with culture by investigating the spread of bronze artifacts. In addition, with more than three hundred figures and color photographs, it offers readers a uniquely grand panorama of two thousand years of cultural interactions between the Northern Zone of China and the Eurasian Steppe.

Auteur
Dr Jianhua Yang is a Professor of Archaeology at Jilin University, Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for Ancient Civilization Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), member of the Academic Committee of the CASS Institute of Archaeology, and standing member of the Chinese Archaeology Society. She has been a Senior Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge, UK (1993-1994, 2002), and at the University of Pittsburgh, USA (2007-2008). Her research interests include archaeological theory, historical development of archaeology as a discipline, West Asian archaeology, and Bronze Age archaeology in Northern China.

Dr Huiqiu Shao is a Professor of Archaeology at Jilin University, and has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, USA (2012-2013). His research interests include Bronze Age archaeology in Northern China, Xinjiang archaeology and Eurasian Steppe archaeology.
Dr Ling Pan is a Professor of Archaeology at Jilin University. Her research interests include Chinese northern frontier archaeology, Warring-States archaeology, Qin Dynasty archaeology and Han Dynasty archaeology.

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PREFACEI. The Geography of the Eurasian SteppeII. The History of Research on the Relations between the Northern Zone of China and the Eurasian SteppeIII. About the BookCHAPTER ONETHE GERMINATION OF NORTHERN BRONZES1.1 Different Bronze Systems in Eurasia1.1.1 Eastern bronze culture system1.1.2 Western bronze culture system1.1.3 Bronze culture system during the late prehistoric period1.2 Research Background beyond China Related to Chinese Early Bronzes1.2.1 Early bronzes of the Oasis culture in southern Central Asia1.2.2 Early bronzes of the steppe culture1.2.3 Seriation of some early bronzes1.3 The Formation of Different Systems of Early Chinese Bronzes1.3.1 Central Plain bronze system during the Xia period1.3.2 Northern bronze system during the Xia period1.3.3 Early bronzes of the Northwestern bronze system during the Xia period1.4 Relationship between the Early Bronzes from China and Those outside of China1.4.1 Relationship between the bronzes of the Qijia culture and those outside of China1.4.2 Relationship between the bronzes of the Siba culture and those of the Tianshanbeilu culture and those beyond the borders of China1.4.3 The prototype of the Northern Zone of China-the Mongolian Plateau Metallurgical ProvinceCHAPTER TWOTHE EXPANSION OF THE STEPPE CULTURE DURING THE SECOND MILLENNIUM B.C.2.1 Andronovo Culture and Seima-Turbino Culture2.1.1 Andronovo culture and socketed battle axes in steppe2.1.2 Characteristics, dating and population of the Seima-Turbino remains2.1.3 Relationship between the two types of remains2.2 Relevant Remains in China2.2.1 Relevant remains of the Andronovo culture complex found in Xinjiang2.2.2 Socketed battle axes in Xinjiang and the Northern Zone2.2.3 Hollow-head axes in Xinjiang and the Northern Zone of China2.2.4 Bronze spears with Seima-Turbino characteristics found in China2.3 The Cultural Relations between China and the Steppe Zone during the 2000 B.C.2.3.1 Expansion of the Andronovo culture complex in Xinjiang2.3.2 The spread of socketed battle axes2.3.3 Spread of axes2.3.4 Seima-Turbino-type bronze spears2.3.5 SummaryCHAPTER THREETHE EMERGENCE AND EXPANSION OF BRONZES IN THE NORTHERN ZONE OF CHINA3.1 Emergence of the Northern Bronzes3.1.1 Northern bronzes during the early Shang period3.1.2 Northern bronzes from the late Shang to West Zhou3.1.3 Evolution of the major bronzes3.2 Eurasian Steppe at the End of the 2nd Millennium B.C.3.2.1 Kazakh steppes, East European steppe, and forest steppes in the post-Seima period3.2.2 Early bronze artifacts in the Mongolian region3.2.3 Karasuk culture in the Minusinsk Basin3.3 The Spread of Chinese Northern Bronzes3.3.1 The influence of northern bronzes on Central Plain culture3.3.2 The influence of northern bronzes on the north of the Yan Mountains3.3.3 The relationship between northern bronze and the Mongolian Plateau3.3.4 The relationship between the northern bronze and Minusinsk Basin3.3.5 The influence of the northern bronzes on the steppes beyond the border, taking the bronze short sword as an exampleCHAPTER FOURTHE BEGINNING OF THE EARLY NOMADIC AGE4.1 The Beginning of the Nomadic Culture of the Eurasian Steppe4.1.1 The northern coast of the Black Sea and the Kuban River Basin: The pre- and early Scythian cultures4.1.2 South Siberia in Russia: the Arzhan Kurgan4.1.3 Slab Grave culture in the Mongolian Plateau and Trans-Baikal4.2 The Predecessor of Nomadic Civilization in the Northern Zone of China4.2.1 Upper Xiajiadian culture4.2.2 Kayue culture</div...